HOW EMILY TAUGHT ENGLISH TO FUND HER RTW experience

Last Updated: 12/03/19 | December 3rd, 2019

There are a great deal of methods to fund your travels. I’ve satisfied visitors who’ve taken strange jobs, serviced yachts, volunteered, saved for their trip, as well as lots of more!

What I like about visitor success stories is that they highlight the diversity of methods to make travel a reality. It doesn’t always have to be “have a great job, make great deals of money, save, travel.” All you truly requirement is some imagination as well as the will to make it happen.

Today, we’re speaking to Emily, a 25-year-old Canadian who transferred to South Korea with her partner to show English. South Korea pays English instructors truly well, as well as she utilized her incomes to fund her world travels.

Nomadic Matt: tell everybody about yourself!
Emily: Hi, I’m Emily! After I completed university in 2012, I transferred to South Korea with my partner to show English. Although my academic background wasn’t in mentor as well as I don’t want to be a instructor my entire life, I understood I wished to travel as well as that mentor tasks pay well.

I left my hometown of Toronto, and, after completing mentor in South Korea, I traveled with Asia, came house for a bit, as well as then delegated travel once again for four months.

I just recently completed my trip as well as am heading back to South Korea to work as well as save again.

What influenced you to do this?
I’m a big believer in living life to the fullest as well as doing what makes you happy. I’d always understood I wished to show English overseas so I might travel a lot more (it pays well), as well as after moving abroad as well as realizing exactly how simple it was to save while working, I made a decision to travel long-lasting after my contract was up.

For me, it was never a huge decision; it just type of happened. I’ve been fortunate sufficient to have a fantastic support network that has motivated me to go after my travel dreams as well as like-minded buddies who have the exact same wish to travel as me (and with me!).

How did you save for your preliminary trip?
I dealt with my parents to keep my costs low as well as saved at least 20% of my paycheck (I worked at a nonprofit for monetary literacy), however it wasn’t up until I really got to South Korea as well as began working full-time that I realized exactly how far my money would really take me.

While living in Korea I was able to save over 70% of my paycheck! (Matt says: South Korea is fairly inexpensive as well as mentor tasks there pay well!)

Although I didn’t make a great deal of money by North American standards, since the expense of living in Korea was so low as well as I was mindful of my spending, I was able to save close to $14,000 by the end of my contract.

What recommendations about saving money do you have for others?
Research, research, research. one of the greatest errors I made was not looking into the activities I wished to perform in specific countries ahead of time, as well as figuring out exactly how much things were going to cost. Whereas activities as well as excursions in Southeast Asia most likely won’t break your bank, skydiving in new Zealand as well as sailing in the Whitsundays in Australia will. It’s crucial to believe ahead as well as get a rough concept of exactly how much things are going to cost.

I’m not stating you requirement to plan out your whole travel plan to a T, however understanding around exactly how much the huge activities will expense makes a big difference. For example, one of the greatest errors was not pricing out the expense of vehicle rentals in new Zealand.

My buddy as well as I were set on getting a camper van, however we never really researched exactly how much it was going to expense to fill up the storage tank — the $100 a day for gas was absolutely a disrespectful awakening! We likewise didn’t believe with the campsite charges to park our vehicle, which were normally $20 per night. I ended up over budget plan by $1,500!

Had I taken the time to crunch the numbers earlier, I would’ve done things differently, such as planning my trip around vehicle relocation postings on TransferCar, a vehicle relocation service (you drive for free). Although this would have needed a great deal a lot more preplanning, it would’ve saved me numerous dollars.

Planning is absolutely important. You requirement to understand what you are getting in to. exactly how did you handle to stay close to being on budget?
I discovered the one thing that assisted me stay on track was keeping a running tally of exactly how much I spent every day. I marked down whatever – hostels, food, as well as drinks, even $2 souvenir purchases. I then plugged whatever into a spreadsheet in Excel that I set up with different costs columns, such as “food,” “accommodation,” as well as “entertainment.” (If you don’t have gain access to to a computer you might quickly do this in anotebook.)

Visually checking out the numbers is a fantastic method to see precisely where your money is going, as well as likewise assists determine where you can cut costs.

Also, begin travel hacking! I’m all about getting the greatest bang for my buck, as well as pay tribute to my benefits credit score card as well as my airline miles reward card for assisting me travel so extensively.

What made you choose to show in Korea?
For years I’d understood I wished to show English overseas, the main reason being to travel. originally I wished to show in China to enhance my Mandarin skills as well as immerse myself a lot more in my Chinese heritage, however after doing some research, I realized mentor in South Korea not only paid much better however likewise came with a lot of other advantages that no other country used (i.e., housing, round-trip airfare, pension, perk pay, health and wellness insurance, as well as great holiday time).

The final push was when my partner realized he needed much better mentor experience to get into his graduate mentor program. South Korea seemed like the very best choice for both of us since I might save money for traveling, as well as he might get the mentor experience he needed.

What was your experience like? Was it difficult to discover a job?
Teaching in South Korea was hands-down the very best decision I’ve ever made. Although I don’t want to be a teacher, the soft skills I gained at my regional middle institution were unlike anything I ever would’ve gotten sitting in a lecture hall or working in a standard business environment.

I had to show 30-40+ trainees daily as well as was regularly trying to find new, innovative methods to keep them engaged in spite of the language barrier. Korean society is very, extremely different from Canada, so overcoming the cultural differences was a life lesson in itself.

I likewise made lifelong friends, got to travel around Korea extensively, as well as now have a life experience on my résumé that sets me besides the competition.

In terms of discovering a job, it really wasn’t that difficult. I went with a North American recruiter business called show Away that focuses on putting people in overseas mentor jobs.

After filling out a in-depth application as well as making it with the prescreening process, my recruiter assisted me discover my task — and at no expense to me (the entire process was free). I ended up working for a public Korean institution in Incheon, South Korea, however lots of people likewise work for “hagwons” (private academies). It just depends upon your preference, your previous mentor experience, as well as where you’d like to be geographically placed.

Matt’s note: If you’d like to show English around the world, here’s a fantastic resource for you.

What recommendations would you have for others trying to do what you did?
If you’re trying to discover a mentor task overseas, my greatest idea would be to take your time as well as do comprehensive research. I’ve heard horror stories of people applying to the very first business they discover as well as not taking the time to do a bit of background inspecting as well as comparing different recruiters. Dedicating a few hours to discovering a great recruiter or company, as well as figuring out what country you want to show in as well as what type of mentor you want to do takes time however is worth the effort.

What was the hardest part about travel?
The lack of privacy has been a huge point of contention for me. four months is the longest I’ve ever traveled, as well as not having my own personal area was something I truly struggled with. often I wasn’t in the mood to make little talk, make dinner in a congested hostel kitchen, or listen to people snore all night.

What saved me was sometimes changing up the lodging (or space style) as well as not staying in a dorm. I was truly lucky, as well as throughout my recent travels was able to stay with buddies at least when a month. I was likewise fortunate sufficient to have a travel friend for 95% of my trip, so sometimes splurging on a personal space was affordable.

I likewise suggest taking occasional “lazy days” as well as dedicating an entire day to just kicking back in a café or park, or even at your hostel. Don’t feel guilty about taking time off from traveling. traveling is a full-time task as well as can get exhausting.

Yes, it’s absolutely a fantastic job, however there’s no rejecting it can be draining. just recently I was checking out a buddy in Scotland, as well as someday all we did was enjoy TV as well as kick back — I was in heaven. Downtime is essential; don’t let yourself feel guilty for wanting to take a day off, particularly if you aren’t in the mood to do sightseeing.

What was it like traveling with your boyfriend? Did you have any type of “I’m going to kill you” moments?
No matter who you’re traveling with, there will always be moments where you requirement some space.

Lucky for me though, theonly fights my partner as well as I ever had revolved around food as well as dining out with friends. I myself am not a red meat–eater, so discovering a restaurant that satisfied all palates — especially in Korea, where they eat mostly beef — was frequently an issue.

Although we’ve tried to discover from our past arguments, blowups still occurred from time to time. We did our finest to be respectful of each other’s dietary wants, however when you’re hungry, often a bit disagreement is inevitable. lucky for us, we were extremely great at letting things go as well as didn’t ever let it spoil our experience.

Other than that though, traveling with my partner was amazing. By far one of the greatest highlights of all my travels was when I took my partner around China. Although a lot of of the destinations weren’t new for me, it was so special to show him my Chinese roots as well as enjoy him autumn in like with the country.

Any parting advice?
Although I’m all for saving money as well as budgeting while traveling, I believe it’s truly crucial to strike a balance between enjoying your trip as well as really doing things, versus penny-pinching.

Obviously this varies depending upon the length of your trip as well as your budget, however at the end of the day, you don’t hop on a airplane to eat PB & J every meal as well as sit in a dorm room. trying new food, sightseeing, as well as going out with your new buddies are important elements of the backpacking experience, as well as something not to be missed out on.

Become the next Success Story

One of my preferred parts about this task is hearing people’s travel stories. They influence me, however a lot more importantly, they likewise influence you. I travel a specific way, however there are lots of methods to fund your trips as well as travel the world, as well as I hope these stories show you that there is a lot more than one method to travel as well as that is within your grasp to reach your travel goals. right here are a lot more examples of people who discovered work overseas to fund their trips:

How Jessica as well as her partner discovered tasks around the world

How Arielle got a task on yacht

How Oneika discovered mentor tasks abroad

We all come from different places, however all of us have one thing in common:

We all want to travel more.

Make today the day you take one step better to traveling — whether it is getting a guidebook, booking a hostel, producing an itinerary, or going all the method as well as getting a airplane ticket.

Remember, tomorrow may never come so don’t wait!
 

Want a lot more info on Teaching?

I composed an in-depth, 186-page guide to mentor overseas. This book will assist show you those techniques as well as get rid of your stress, fear, as well as stress and anxiety about discovering a job. It will save you weeks of on the internet research study as well as provide you the most precise as well as updated info you need. It is written by instructors for teachers, featuring lots of interviews with instructors from around the world sharing their experiences, in addition to task recruiters to assist you cinch your interview as well as get hired. get your copy today!
 

Book Your Trip: Logistical ideas as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a inexpensive flight by utilizing Skyscanner. It’s my preferred browse engine since it searches web sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the least expensive rates for guesthouses as well as hotels.

Don’t fail to remember travel Insurance
Travel insurance coverage will secure you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s detailed security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it lots of times in the past. My preferred business that offer the very best service as well as value are:

SafetyWing (best for everyone)

Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for extra evacuation coverage)

Ready to book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the very best business to utilize when you travel. I listing all the ones I utilize when I travel. They are the very best in class as well as you can’t go wrong utilizing them on your trip.